Drought in the Midwest

The nightly news is replete with information about the record drought this summer. It’s important to watch these stories because the reporters cover the story from a variety of angles. You can see many of the ramifications of such an historic summer. As you watch the different segments of the story, it gives you ideas on who and what needs prayer. The farmers, most definitely, but also the poor animals who are hungry and hot, the cows and the chickens. Many professions are affected besides the farmers, including river boat pilots on the mighty Mississippi and other businesses that depend on it as a resource of some sort. There is much to pray about this summer.

At the same time, we have to consider why this is happening. Scripture tells us that the land is full of adulterers (it is) and that because of swearing the land mourns and the pleasant places are dried up (Jer 23:10). In our modern world, our whole lifestyle is adulterated. Even our crops are adulterated. Scientists engineer the seeds that are sown in the ground and the companies that own the engineered seeds make sure that only their seeds are used. God knows that the seeds were perfect and pure before all of the engineering. He sees the bigger picture that the engineered seeds are not good for our bodies. What is He to do? He loves His creation but we are destroying, not only ourselves but others and the land with us.

The fertilizer required to maintain these engineered crops is running off into the ground water and in its turn is destroying the river that it runs into. The mighty Mississippi carries this pollution into the Gulf of Mexico and vast regions of this beautiful body of water are now dead zones. What is our Father to do? You could say that instead of a green thumb, we have a black thumb that destroys everything that we touch.

God loves His creation the way He created it. If you were God, what would you do to get the land to return to the way it should be? So far, everything that mankind has tried hasn’t worked. No one takes the naysayers and the protesters seriously. Therefore, God HAS to send a strong message to the ones who are the most instrumental in its destruction. What if the drought in the Midwest is actually a blessing? An intial thrust of change in the way things are done? God is certainly drawing attention to this most critical area of our country and showing us the value of this rich farm land. We need to return it to its pristine beauty of only a few short centuries ago. It is entirely possible to reverse what we have done to the land. God always gives us a way out. He tells us multiple times in the Old Testament that if we turn our hearts to Him, He will hear and heal our land.

God’s way is the perfect way. His garden was the perfect one. We can turn back the clock of destruction by turning back to our Father and letting His way be true.